Hunted
by AlikeReaction
Summary: A generous patient gives Jesse a free weekend break, but little do Steve and Jesse realise what awaits them in the wilderness. FINAL CHAPTER UP, NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The two men sat in the hospital waiting room on the pretext of waiting for news of a patient. They sat partly hidden away in the corner and talked in low voices so as not to be overheard. No one bothered them. When they weren't talking they sat in silence, watching, waiting, ever alert and on the look out for a young doctor known as Jesse Travis. They wanted him. They were going to get him, they weren't sure how, but they were willing to be patient.

Just then Jesse came into view. He was talking to Dr Mark Sloan.

"Jesse you need to take a break and get some rest, you have been here for over fifteen hours," said Mark. "Go to the on call room."

"Yeah, maybe you're right Mark," agreed Jesse. "I am feeling a little beat." Just then there came a voice over the intercom.

"Dr Mark Sloan, please report immediately to the emergency room." Mark gave Jesse a look.

"Duty calls," he said with a grin and left. Jesse lent back against the wall and shut his eyes. The two men in the corner nodded at each other and rose to their feet. All of a sudden, there was a commotion over by the main doors and two men dressed in very wealthy business suits burst in. One man was bent double and the other was supporting him. The men in the corner quickly sat down again.

"Someone help me, he's choking!" Jesse became alert at once and dashed over to the men, one of which was bent double, slightly purple and wheezing.

"Stand back, I'm a doctor," he cried and taking hold of the man under the ribs he performed the Heimlich manoeuvre. The man suddenly coughed and a large piece of potato fell onto the floor. The man took several large breaths before being able to straighten up.

"Are you alright?" asked Jesse.

"Yes thank you Dr…..?"

"Travis. Jesse Travis."

"Well thank you Dr Travis you saved my life. I will reward you."

"That's not necessary," said Jesse.

"You saved my life," said the man. "You must have something in return. I don't know if you recognise me. I'm Howard Brenton. I own Howard Holidays and as a reward I am going to give you a free weekend holiday break."

"Really Mr Brenton, that's very generous of you, but you don't have to, I was only doing my job."

"Nonsense," said the man. "I insist." Just then there was another intercom call.

"This is a call for Dr Travis. Would Dr Travis please report to cardiology."

"I have to go," said Jesse apologetically. "It was nice meeting you."

"I'll drop by tomorrow and leave you some tickets at reception," called the man after Jesse receding back.

The two men in the corner looked at each other and grinned. They'd got him.

X X X

The next day the two mysterious men were back in their usual seats. They came in early and saw Mr Brenton arrive and leave an envelope for Jesse at the reception as promised. Then they waited until the area was nearly clear of people before causing a diversion. One of the men went and stood casually by the pillar next to the reception desk and after a few minutes and remaining man stood up, took a couple of steps forward and then pretended to faint. He fell over the magazine table in the centre of the room with a loud crash. The receptionist jumped and rushed over to the fallen man to see if he was alright. This was just as the men had hoped.

The man by the pillar silently crept behind the desk and switched the envelope containing the tickets from Mr Brenton with another envelope that he took from his jacket. He dropped the original envelope into the bin under the desk, but he didn't see that it missed and fell behind the bin instead. He then silently made his way towards the exit. A few minutes later the second man appeared, they got into a car and drove away.

It was just after lunch when the receptionist had a chance to give Jesse the envelope. He took it in surprise. "I thought he was joking," he said to himself and tore open the envelope. Inside was a pair of tickets and a card. Jesse looked at the card.

_Dear Dr Travis_

_Thank you again for saving my life._

_Please accept these tickets for you and a friend as a token of my gratitude._

_Enjoy your trip._

_Mr Brenton_

Jesse looked at the tickets in amazement as Mark came up behind him.

"What have you got there, Jesse?"

"You know that Mr Brenton I told you about last night?" said Jesse. "Well, he kept his promise. He's just given me two tickets for a secluded camping weekend in the mountains!"

"Well that's certainly generous," said Mark. "Who are you going to give the extra ticket to?"

Jesse thought for a moment. "I think I'll give it to Steve," he said. "It's his birthday next week isn't it, and he's done so much for me over the years."

"Jesse, that's a great idea. I'm sure he would love to come," said Mark beaming. "As a matter of fact I know he's got a weeks' leave due him."

"Oh good," said Jesse, looking eager. "It says on the tickets you just have to phone this number to arrange your visit. I'll wait until I've given this to Steve and then we can arrange when to go."

* * *

_Please read and review. I always love to know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse went round to the Beach House that evening for dinner with Steve and Mark. He told Steve about the gratitude of Mr Brenton and the tickets for a camping holiday.

"I'm not big on the great outdoors so here you are, an early birthday present," Jesse finished, pushing the envelope across the table to Steve.

"What, you're not coming with me?" asked Steve.

Mark also looked surprised. "You seemed keen in the hospital," he said.

"Yeah, I guess I was just touched that Mr Brenton had kept his promise," Jesse shrugged. "But it's really not my thing."

"Hey, who am I meant to go with?" Steve protested. "I won't have much fun on my own."

"Go with your dad," suggested Jesse, spooning pasta into his mouth. "You don't get to spend much one to one time together."

"Thanks Jesse, but I've got a busy workload coming up next week," Mark said.

"So have I!" Jesse tried.

"No you haven't, in fact you've got two days leave booked, I noticed on the rota this morning," Mark said with a twinkle in his eye.

"But that's for lounging at home in front of the TV," Jesse moaned. "It's not very relaxing going camping and walking for miles and fighting off the bugs."

"In actual fact the great outdoors can be very tranquil," Steve said. "You just need someone with a bit of experience to show you how to enjoy it." He smiled at Jesse, who pulled a face back.

Mark and Steve exchanged grins as Jesse ate a few more mouthfuls in silence and then sighed heavily before saying, "Well, all right. But you can put the tent up!"

X X X

The car journey seemed to take hours, but it was easier going once they were out of the city and away from the traffic jams. Jesse had come around to the idea more after calling to arrange the holiday and discovering that the campsite, although secluded, in fact entirely solitary, was already set up with a luxurious tent and had a small shower system set up, although hot water would have to be boiled over the fire. There was even a stove in case the campers couldn't get a fire going. Steve had grumbled quietly about it not being a proper camping trip with such comforts, but in truth he was pleased if it meant that Jesse was in a better mood.

The two friends arrived at last, with about an hour of light left. Jesse was impressed by the three-roomed tent, which had two bedrooms and a general area with a table and chairs, plates and cutlery and some games to while away the evenings, and oil lanterns to light when it got dark. The stove was located under an awning of corrugated iron a few yards away.

"Hey, you know this doesn't look all that bad!" Jesse called to Steve, who was lifting their luggage out of the car.

"Yeah, well I haven't had chance to look yet," mumbled Steve. "A hand would be good."

"Oh sorry," Jesse apologised, hurrying over and taking his bag into the tent. "I'll have this room," he declared.

Steve paused outside, taking in the wonderful scenery. They were pretty high up in the mountains, and only in the distance could signs of habitation be seen, though Steve supposed there could be other campsites scattered over the mountains. The air felt gloriously fresh after the pollution of the city and all felt very quiet. All around were tall trees and pine needles under their feet. Low scrub was dotted around.

"It's a bit nippy," said Jesse, rubbing his arms as he emerged from the tent.

"Oh, be quiet," Steve answered good naturedly, pushing past him and putting his bag in the other bedroom.

"I wasn't complaining," Jesse said. "Just making an observation."

"Well, we're high up," Steve said. "Hope you brought some layers." He dragged a chair out of the tent and set it down outside. He sank into it and absorbed the fresh views, taking deep breaths of the crisp mountain air. "This is the life, eh?"

Jesse looked uncertain. "It's very pleasant at the moment," he admitted. "I'll give you an answer tomorrow when we've experienced night and darkness in the great outdoors."

Steve chuckled. "Will you relax! Nothing's going to happen. You're in much more danger in the city than you are up here."

"Suppose so," Jesse said, finding a chair and joining Steve. The two looked out over the mountain enjoying the silence for a while.

Eventually Steve stirred. "Fancy a coffee?"

"I'd love one," Jesse said.

"Tomorrow I'll show you how to light a fire," Steve said. "And although this feels like cheating, I'm too beat after that long drive to bother doing it now, while we've got the convenience of a gas stove just sitting watching us from over there, so I'm going to boil the water on there."

"Wow, never thought you'd bow down to the easy way," said Jesse with a cheeky grin.

Steve gave him a light punch on the arm and went into the tent. He emerged with matches and a pan of water. "Amazing, we've even got bottled water!" he said. He set the pan on the stove and opened a hatch on the front. He struck a match, turned on the gas, and put the match into the stove.

A tremendous boom echoed around the mountain as the stove exploded in a huge ball of fire. Steve threw his arms up to his face as he was thrown backwards by the blast and skidded on his back across the pine-needled floor. The stove was ripped apart and pieces of metal flew everywhere, causing Jesse, who had jumped to his feet with a yell, to drop into a crouch with his arms above his head. He jumped as he heard a thud as a sharp piece of metal was driven into the leg of his chair right beside him.

As the explosion died away, Jesse leapt up and ran over to Steve, who was still on his back on the floor. "Steve! Steve! Are you hurt?"

Steve groaned. "I'm okay. Just bruised I think."

"Let me take a look," Jesse said.

"I'm okay," repeated Steve, but he let Jesse check him over, knowing that there would be no hiding any injury from the young doctor.

Jesse was looking concerned. "You can see all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I shut my eyes straight away. My face feels hot though," he said. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jesse looked guilty. "It's nothing really… You're burned on your face though, and your hands where you protected yourself. And a bit of debris from the stove is embedded in the back of your left hand. And…" he broke off into a laugh.

"What?" demanded Steve.

"Oh God Steve, I shouldn't laugh, I guess I'm just glad you are okay," Jesse said, then laughed again.

"What!" Steve said.

"Well, the blast sort of… I mean it… well, it singed away quite a bit of your hair," Jesse said, collapsing into laughter.

Steve reached up and felt around his forehead. A small band of hair had been burned to a crisp and disintegrated under his hands. "Oh great," he said. Then, "ouch!"

Jesse became serious. "I shouldn't have laughed. You know, those burns could be serious. We should go to the nearest hospital and-"

Steve interrupted him. "Aw come on Jess, we just got here. It was only a few seconds of heat, the burns can't be that bad. And I'm sure you have a medikit you can use to get this thing out of my hand."

"They're not really serious," conceded Jesse. "But if you want to stay free of infection and scarring you need to be careful with even minor burns. Come on, I'm the doctor. We'll cover your face with a damp cloth and I'll drive us back down the mountain."

"Of all the things to happen!" said Steve. "Okay, but we're leaving our belongings here or I'll never get you back up here."

"Whatever, but let's hurry before it gets much darker," said Jesse. "The road up here was pretty rocky."

Jesse helped Steve up although he didn't seem to appreciate the assistance. The cold cloth felt extremely soothing against his hot face. Steve was glad they didn't have a mirror because he could imagine that he looked horrific with a bright red face and an inch of hair missing around his face.

Jesse hurried him away from the tent, checking his burns anxiously. Even though he knew they were fairly minor, he was still full of worry from seeing his friend fly through the air from the stove explosion. He pulled out the car keys and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Steve," Jesse said slowly. "Where's the car?"


	3. Chapter 3

Steve felt a moment of panic rise up inside him. He took the wet towel away from his face and scanned the area in concern. Then he grinned.

"Jesse, you idiot, it's right over there behind those trees, just where we left it."

"Oops, sorry," said Jesse, embarrassed. He guided Steve over to the car, opened the doors and lowered Steve into the passenger seat. "Watch your head." He then bent to do Steve's seatbelt.

"I can do up my own seat belt you know," said Steve, taking the strap from Jesse's hands.

"I didn't want you to aggravate your hands."

"I won't. You're the only thing that's aggravating me."

"Sorry." Jesse made his way round to the driver's side and got in. He strapped himself in and put the key in the ignition and then he glanced at Steve again. "Are you comfortable enough?"

"Jesse…"

"Sorry. It's just I'm worried about you."

"Well hurry up and get me to a hospital then." Jesse put the gear into neutral and turned the key. There was a mechanical sound, but the car did not start. Jesse tried again with the same result.

"What's the matter?" asked Steve from behind his wet towel.

"I don't understand. It won't start," Jesse glanced at the dashboard. "What on earth…?"

"What?"

"It says we're out of fuel."

"That's impossible," said Steve. "We filled up only recently!"

"I'm going to look under the bonnet," said Jesse getting out of the car. He opened the bonnet and exclaimed in surprise. "The fuel lines have been cut!"

"That's not all," said Steve sounding serious and coming up beside Jesse. "Take a look at the tyres." Jesse walked round to the side of the car and gasped.

"Slashed. All four of them," said Steve. "And I only have one spare. How come you didn't notice?"

"I was busy guiding you," said Jesse. "How do you suppose it happened?"

"Not by accident, that's for sure," said Steve. "Someone's been tampering with our car."

"But who?" asked Jesse incredulously. "We are miles from anywhere."

"I know, and that's what worries me," said Steve.

"Maybe it was a bear," Jesse suggested hopefully.

"There are no bears in this area," said Steve, grinning at Jesse despite the situation. "And even_ if_ a bear did slash our tyres, how did he get under the bonnet?"

"I don't know. You think of an explanation."

"Ok. I don't think these little accidents that have been happening are coincidences. I think someone tampered with our car and possibly even the stove."

"But why?" asked Jesse.

"I don't know," said Steve. "Let's go back to camp and phone Dad and Amanda and let them know what's happened and phone the police as well."

"What about your face and hands?" asked Jesse.

"You will just have to patch me up, unless you are suggesting we walk the twenty five miles back to civilisation."

"I'll go get my medi-kit," said Jesse.

X X X

Back at camp Jesse insisted on seeing to Steve's hand before he used the phone. He carefully removed the shard of shrapnel from the back of Steve's hand as Steve gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Sorry," said Jesse. "I don't have any anaesthetic."

"It's ok." Next Jesse bathed the cut in antiseptic solution, applied a cream, plaster and bandage.

"Finished?" asked Steve.

"Nearly," said Jesse and tossed him a bottle.

"What's this?"

"After Sun for your face. At least you'll come back from this trip with a tan!"

"Ha ha, thanks," said Steve dryly. "Now I'm going to call Dad, why don't you gather some wood and try and light a fire."

Steve went inside and retrieved his phone from his rucksack while Jesse gathered fallen braches from the surrounding area.

"Blast," said Steve coming out of the tent. "I haven't got a signal. I'll just move around a bit and see if I can pick one up."

"Ok."

Steve wandered a few yards away, holding the phone in the air. The screen remained blank. He carried on walking and found a large rock and clamoured to the top of it. He tried the phone again, still nothing. Steve cursed in annoyance. Just then he heard Jesse calling him frantically.

"Steve….STEVE!"

Steve felt a chill run down his back and he leapt down off the rock and raced back towards camp, his heart thumping. He found Jesse standing outside the entrance to the tent looking terrified.

"Jesse what is it, what's happened?"

"I went inside to get the matches," stammered Jesse. "You know, to light the fire and I found it on my bed."

"Found what?"

"This," said Jesse and shoved a sheet of paper into Steve's hand. Steve glanced down at it and gasped. On the paper, in large red letters that looked horribly like they were written in blood were the words:

_Are You Afraid of The Dark?_

"You say this was on your bed?"

"Yes," said Jesse trembling. "Do you have your gun?"

"Yes, don't worry," said Steve and put his hand to his waistband just to check. Then in a hushed voice he said. "We must be being watched. We were only away from the camp for about five minutes when we went to the car."

"Steve, I'm frightened," said Jesse. "Let's call the police and get out of here."

Steve felt his heart sink. "We can't. There is no signal out here. Try not to worry, I won't let anything happen to you," he added as Jesse looked alarmed.

"Try not to worry?" said Jesse beginning to feel hysterical. "We are miles from anywhere with no car, no phone and a madman who is leaving us threatening letters. I knew this trip was a bad idea!"

"Don't panic," said Steve feeling quite panicky himself. "For all we know this is the work of a couple of teenagers from a nearby campsite who are playing a practical joke."

"Well I don't think it's very funny," said Jesse.

"Look lets be practical here. It's dark now and we can't go wandering off into the night. Why don't we light the fire, have a drink, something to eat and try and get some sleep. Then in the morning we can try walking for help."

"What, sleep here?" cried Jesse. "When we know there is a madman out there after us!"

"We don't have any choice. I'll stay up all night on guard and I'll have my gun. If anyone wants to attack us they'll have to get past me first."

Jesse stood with an agonised expression on his face for a few moments but he could see there was no alternative. "Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But we set off at first light."

Steve nodded and gazed out into the dark. He couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

* * *

_Please review! Hope you are enjoying it._


	4. Chapter 4

Steve helped Jesse light a fire, but it wasn't the fun task they had imagined it being when they had first arrived at the campsite. A sombre mood hung over them. Jesse was particularly on edge after finding the note on his bed and Steve felt tense too. His face and hands were feeling sore and adding to his discomfort. Almost in silence they cooked a simple meal and ate it. The darkness was soon absolute and they could see nothing beyond a few yards from the fire. Both put on an extra layer of clothing as the air grew colder.

"You might as well turn in," said Steve eventually.

"Are you kidding?" said Jesse. "I'll never be able to sleep. I _am_ afraid of the dark now."

"There's nothing to be gained by sitting out here getting colder," Steve said. "I'm going to douse the fire."

"What! Why?" asked Jesse. "It'll be pitch black if you do! It's comforting having it there."

"Yes, but we can't see anything outside the circle of light it provides, and the crackling its making is covering up noises of anyone trying to sneak up on us."

"Put it out, good idea," Jesse said.

"There'll probably be a tiny bit of light from the stars," Steve said as he and Jesse scattered the wood and kicked soil over the embers. "And I've got a torch handy. But if the fire was going I'd not have a chance of seeing anyone coming up behind the tent."

There was a brief pause, then the two of them looked over behind the tent and stared into the darkness. Jesse shivered. "Thanks a lot for reassuring me."

Steve motioned with his hand. "Go to bed. I'll sit in the entrance of the tent and keep watch. I've got a torch and a gun. We'll be okay." He dragged his sleeping bag outside to sit in to keep warm.

Jesse reluctantly went into his compartment and lay down in his sleeping bag. As soon as he lay still he could hear a multitude of sounds, each one making him tense up until he got cramp in his shoulder. The rustling of a bird in a tree – or someone out to get them? The cracking of a twig, the sound of the wind in the trees. "Steve?" he called softly.

"I'm still here," came the reply.

"It's noisy on this mountain," Jesse said.

"That's just nature," Steve said.

"You won't fall asleep, will you?"

"Course not. Just relax."

Despite his fears, Jesse fell into a restless sleep.

Steve was sure he could stay awake all night. He was more used to outside noises than Jesse but tonight everything was making him jump, although he didn't admit that to Jesse. No sense in worrying him further. But the shock of the stove explosion had exhausted him and the constant throbbing of the skin on his hands and face was tiring. Despite all good intentions, Steve dropped off to sleep.

He was awakened by a yell that he recognised instantly to be Jesse's. Cursing himself for falling asleep, he jumped to his feet, gun in one hand and torch in another, and tripped over as he caught his legs in his sleeping bag. He fell to the ground with a thump and rolled over, struggling to extradite himself from the sleeping bag. Finally he got up and raced into Jesse's bedroom, switching on the torch.

Jesse's top half was out of his sleeping bag, and it was drenched in blood. Jesse looked stricken as he saw the expression on Steve's face then looked down at himself. He touched his chest in disbelief.

"Jesse!" cried Steve. "What happened? Oh my god, you're covered in blood. Tell me what to do, Jesse."

"I… don't feel anything," said Jesse, looking shocked.

"That must be some kind of defence mechanism against trauma," Steve said, dropping down beside Jesse and ripping his shirt open. He examined Jesse all over, but it was hard to see in the directional light of the torch and with all the blood. So much blood, thought Steve, trying to curb his horror. His hands were slick with it as he searched for the wound.

"No, really," said Jesse, his voice shaky but strong. "I'm okay. I don't think I'm hurt. I can't feel anything." He sat up and patted himself all over. "It's not my blood." He looked at Steve in alarm. "So whose blood is it?"

Steve looked around the room and saw a slit in the tent canvas near the floor on one side. He picked up his gun and the torch and slid outside. He stood up and shone the torch all around as Jesse wriggled out after him. "I think we should stay together," Jesse said, his voice still shaky from the shock of waking up and finding himself covered in blood.

Steve grunted in acknowledgement, realising that what Jesse really meant was "don't leave me alone". He moved the torch around in an arc and stopped as it picked out a small mound a short way from the tent. He strode towards the object and gasped. On the floor lay two dead rabbits, cut open in a way that was definitely done by a knife and not a wild animal. "Here's your victims," he said.

Jesse took a look and turned away in disgust. "You mean I've got rabbit blood all over me?" he said. "Yuck!"

"Better than being your own," said Steve, relieved that nothing worse had happened to Jesse. "What is going on? Someone is trying to intimidate us, or injure us, or both, but why?"

"I don't know, but it's creepy," Jesse said with a shiver. "Urgh, this blood is congealing."

Steve shone the torch on him and had to laugh despite the tension. "You do look a sight. Mind you, I've got plenty on my hands, and everything I've touched."

"What time does dawn come?" asked Jesse. "I'd welcome some light."

"You're not the only one," Steve said. "Probably not too long."

"Great," said Jesse as they turned back towards their tent, "Because –"

He broke off as they both heard a crackling noise ahead of them and a light that was definitely not the approaching dawn. "The tent! It's on fire!" shouted Steve, and they raced forwards. Only one corner was ablaze but it was spreading rapidly.

"Surely these things should be fireproof!" yelled Jesse. Steve ran into the living area of the tent and grabbed one of the large water bottles that had been provided for them. He unscrewed the top and emptied the contents on the fire. Jesse joined him, picking up a bottle as he saw what Steve was doing. They managed to get the fire under control.

"What are the chances that that was an accident?" Steve asked.

"I'm sure the remains of our fire are long dead," Jesse declared. "You realise someone was here while we were only metres away looking at those rabbits?"

"Yes," Steve said grimly. "Whoever it was probably attacked you and then just circled round the tent. Kind of makes the blood curdle doesn't it?"

"At least we weren't in the tent," Jesse said.

"I don't like this one bit." Steve gritted his teeth. "Is this person going to allow us to walk off the mountain? We need to keep our wits about us."

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews, please keep giving your opinions!_

_Cindy, I'd love to know which phrases in particular show me up as being English! You are right, the show does have international appeal!_


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to have a shower and change my clothes," said Jesse. "This stuff's all cold and slimy."

"Good idea," said Steve. "I'll keep watch while you shower."

Luckily the tent fire had not got as far as the bedrooms before it was extinguished and so both Jesse and Steve's clothes and belongings were intact. Jesse went to the shower while Steve sat in a chair a few feet away keeping guard. The sun was just beginning to come over the tops of the mountains and he could see quite a way in front. There came the sound of running water from the shower and suddenly Jesse gave a yell. Steve was up out of his seat in a second.

"Jesse? What is it?" he called, concerned.

"The water's freezing!"

"Oh, thank god. I thought you were being attacked. I was just about to rush in there."

"No need, no need," said Jesse hurriedly. This was followed by a lot of shivering sounds and intakes of breath. Grinning, Steve went back to his seat. Jesse soon emerged with a towel wrapped round his chest.

"Your turn."

"That's okay," said Steve. "I'll just wash my hands asI didn't get quite so…messy as you." Jesse gave him a look and went inside to dress. When he emerged he looked almost back to his old self. He took a tentative glance around as he sat down next to Steve.

"I think we should head off. I feel like a sitting duck out here, just waiting to be shot at. I don't want to end up like those rabbits."

"You know, I'm not so sure that's this guy's intention."

"Huh? How do you mean?"

"He appears to be toying with us. Nothing he has done so far has been serious enough to kill us."

"Ok, so he just wants to see us loose a couple of limbs and get burnt to death," said Jesse. "What's next? Flaming boulders? Poisonous snakes? I don't intend sticking around to find out."

"I think you're right," said Steve. "We should see what provisions we can take with us and set off. Back the way we came if possible."

"Why? That track went on for miles, it will take us ages to get back to the main road. We are in the middle of nowhere."

"Precisely," said Steve. "We don't know how far these mountains and wooded terrain goes on. If we go further in, we are more likely to get lost. We should head back in the general direction we came from. At least we know there is something over there."

"Alright, I suppose it makes sense," said Jesse. "Let's just hurry up and go."

"Okay. You get your rucksack. Leave most of the things you brought with you behind. We can get them later. Just take the bare essentials and leave room for some food and water." Jesse nodded and hurried back inside the tent. Steve followed shortly afterwards having had another look around but seeing no one. They packed quickly and then met in the little kitchen area to divide up the food. They had four apples, a loaf of bread, some dry cured ham, eggs, biscuits, pasta, a bag of mixed salad and an assortment of tins.

"Leave the pasta, but we'll take the rest," said Steve. "And don't forget the tin opener."

"What about the water?"

"We'll just have to try and take as much as we can carry," said Steve. "It's a shame it's so heavy."

"Actually that's not going to be a problem," said Jesse, looking worried.

"How do you mean?"

"Well I've just looked and we only have four litres left."

"What? How is that possible?" asked Steve in alarm.

"It seems we used most of it last night putting out the fire. You realise we only really have enough water for 1 day each."

"Ok, we'll just have to ration it," said Steve looking serious. "Let's worry about that when we need to. The quicker we leave the better."

Jesse nodded. "Got your gun?"

"Yes," said Steve. "Got your medi kit? Good then let's go, but let's be careful, we still don't know who's out there."

They shouldered their bags and left, walking back past the car and up a steep stony slope. The sun had fully risen and it looked like being a bright sunny day. However the two friends hardly noticed as they were too intent on listening to the sounds around them. Their footsteps seemed unusually loud as their shoes crunched over the stones and they were very aware of the rustling trees moving in the wind. They walked in silence, both tense and alert. Jesse felt a prickle go down his spine. He shivered and looked over his shoulder.

"Steve, do you ever get the feeling…"

"…that we're being watched? Yes."

Jesse glanced at Steve and saw his face looked grave and that he had one hand resting on the hilt of his gun.

"Just keep walking," he said out the side of his mouth. "I'm sure when he wants us to know he's there he will act, until then just keep going."

As they carried on, the trees began to close in around them and the terrain became even steeper. At one point Jesse stumbled and began to slide backwards but Steve grabbed his arm and hauled him upwards until they were resting on a flat outcrop of rock.

"I don't remember it being this steep," said Jesse panting from the effort of climbing.

"It's a lot easier in a car and we were going downhill last time," said Steve. "Come on, I can see a fork ahead and I think it gets flatter."

X X X

When they reached the fork they found that the left hand side was where they had come from and that it was quite flat. The road was lined on either side with trees. To the right was a steep muddy slope and thick forest.

"I'll just check the phone for a signal now it's a bit clearer," said Steve and held up the phone. "No, still nothing. Come on, we need to go left."

"At last some flat terrain," said Jesse. "I was…" Just then there was a swishing sound and an arrow embedded itself in the tree right by Jesse's head. He paled and both he and Steve froze. There was another swishing sound and another arrow appeared as if from nowhere, this time embedding itself in the ground by Steve's foot.

"Move!" yelled Steve and grabbing Jesse's arm sprinted into the trees on the right. As they did so another arrow hit a tree just behind them. Steve pushed Jesse to the ground behind a bush and drew his gun, scanning the area fervently. All was quiet apart from the rustling of the vegetation. His heart was beating fast and he found his hands were trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and told himself to get a grip. He looked at Jesse, crouched on the ground beside him and made a hand gesture to go further back.

Jesse nodded silently and warily stood up and took a step backwards. Almost instantly there was another swishing sound and Jesse broke into a downhill run as an arrow hit the ground. He heard another swish and looked back fearfully. As he did so the slope suddenly became steeper and he tripped. He hit the earth and tumbled crazily down the hill. The branches of fallen trees and brambles scratched at him as he fell. He came to a halt near the base of the slope feeling utterly bruised and bewildered. He sat up and spat mud out of his mouth and wiped him muddy hands on his shirt. His right arm stung and he saw that it was bleeding, although not badly.

"Jesse? Jesse? Are you alright?" Steve called.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I'm okay," Jesse replied. He looked towards the sound of Steve's voice and saw him outlined against the trees.

"Our shooter seems to have gone," said Steve. "Hang on. I'll come down to you." Steve began to make him way cautiously down, trying to find the most level bits of ground to walk on. He was just walking between two trees when a loud cracking sound filled the air. Steve seemed to stumble and then with a cry of surprise he disappeared from view.

"Steve!" Jesse called in alarm. "STEVE!" He waited for Steve's reply but he got no answer.

* * *

_Thanks for all the input back about differences between British and American uses of English. Most of those things I am aware of (like torch vs flashlight, defence vs defense) but I just use them without thinking! Guess there's no hiding the fact that I'm British, not that I was trying to but I didn't think it was that obvious when you are reading text._

_The most surprising differences are the things that CindyT63 said. I use both versions of each example you gave interchangeably – I would never have guessed that one way sounds more British than the other! We even use both yards and metres. Maybe it's all the American influence over here. But interesting._

_Keep reviewing please!_


	6. Chapter 6

Jesse tried to run back up the slope, but it was so steep it was more of a stagger. He grabbed at branches of trees and bushes to help him upwards, ignoring the stinging of the scratches on his arms.

He reached the area where he thought Steve had been and looked all around wildly, but couldn't see him anywhere. "Steve!" he called again. He heard a groan and over on his left saw a gaping hole in the ground, surrounded by leaves and broken branches. He scrambled over and dropped to his knees by the edge of the hole. Down at the bottom, lying on his back and blinking up at the sky, lay Steve.

"Steve!" said Jesse in concern. "Are you hurt? I'm coming down there to check you over."

"No, don't," said Steve, struggling to a sitting position and holding his head as it was throbbing painfully. "I'm okay."

"You look like you're in a bear trap or something," Jesse informed him.

"Yeah," Steve grunted. He had knocked his head as he fell and the world seemed to be spinning slightly. "It just looked like leaves on the ground but it all gave way beneath me. Lucky it wasn't a spiked pit, eh?" he added, trying to make light of the situation.

"Well, yeah," Jesse said, but didn't really see that there was anything lucky about their situation at all. "You're a long way down." He scanned the surrounding trees nervously. "Can you get out? If the archer appears again we're sitting ducks."

Steve heaved himself to his feet and reached up for the edge of the pit. It was just above his reach but he jumped and grabbed the edge. The earth was soft and moist and crumbled away in his hands and he fell back. He tried again at a different spot, with Jesse keeping watch for their assailant, but to no avail. Jesse tried to grab his arm and pull him out, but was not strong enough and didn't have anything to secure himself with.

"It's no good," panted Steve, trying not to sway as the pit seemed to move around him. "It's too high and slippery."

Jesse jerked his head up as he heard a twig snap somewhere over to his right. "I hope that was just a rabbit."

"Jesse, go and hide," Steve said. "I'll keep trying to get out. There's no need for you to stay and-"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not going anywhere," Jesse said determinedly, and Steve grinned at him appreciatively.

"Wait, I'm had an idea," Jesse said, and his head disappeared from Steve's view. Steve heard sounds of movement and leaves rustling, then Jesse was back. "I've got a huge branch that was lying on the ground," he said. "I'll push it down to you, and you can put it in the corner and use it to put your feet on. It's not slippery."

"Great idea!" Steve said, and he stood back as Jesse rolled his large branch into the pit. It was at least as big as Steve, and he lifted it and rested it in one of the corners. He lifted a leg and put his foot halfway up, and then heaved his body upwards and managed to get halfway out of the pit. Jesse grabbed at his shoulders and helped him get out the rest of the way.

"The archer must have known we would run off in this direction when he fired at us and dug that trap hoping to catch us," Steve speculated. He stood up and grabbed at a branch to steady himself.

"Did you hit your head?" Jesse asked, the concerned doctor once more coming out.

"I'm okay," Steve said wearily.

"You did, didn't you?" Jesse said. "Are you feeling nauseous? Dizzy? Let me check your pupils," he said, reaching out.

Steve pulled away. "Leave it!" he snapped. "There's nothing you can do even if I was injured. Anyway, your arm's bleeding."

Jesse looked a little hurt but said nothing. He noticed that Steve's skin where he had been burned looked red and raw. Steve wasn't complaining but Jesse knew it must be sore. He looked at his own arm. One of the scratches on his right arm was worse than the others and bleeding quite a bit. He pulled out his medikit and cleaned the blood off, stuck on a couple of temporary stitches on to keep the wound shut and then taped a patch over it with tape.

"Let's get moving," Steve said.

They picked up their bags and started off. Hoping that the archer would assume they had carried on in the direction they had run off in, they instead worked their way through the trees for a distance then headed back on to the road that they had used to drive to the campsite. Yesterday seemed a long time ago. They were panting with the exertion of making their way through the bushes and rough ground and stopped for a little rest before they emerged on to the road. Steve looked up and down the road from the shadow of a tree but couldn't see anything suspicious.

Jesse got out his water bottle. "Good idea," Steve said, getting his from his bag. He took the top off and was about to take a big gulp when he paused and sniffed at the water. His eyes widened and he turned to Jesse who had already taken a mouthful. "Spit it out!" Steve said urgently, and Jesse spat his water on the ground.

"What?" he asked.

"Smell this," Steve said, putting his bottle of water under Jesse's nose. "What do you smell?"

"It smells a bit like almonds," said Jesse in alarm.

"That's what I thought," Steve said grimly. "Poisoned with cyanide. Maybe not a lethal dose but I'm not taking any chances." He emptied his water on the ground in disgust.

Jesse smelt his water and did the same. "This is getting worse and worse."

"We've got to watch everything we do," Steve said. "Come on, let's follow the road but keep under the trees. Maybe we've lost him," he said hopefully.

X X X

At Community General, Mark rubbed his eyes after a long shift. He smiled at Amanda who was heading towards him and sank down into an empty chair at the nurses' station. He stretched out his legs and sighed as he knocked over the bin with his foot.

"Hello clumsy," smiled Amanda. "Long day?"

"Oh yes," Mark said, bending down to pick up the rubbish. His hand felt something right up against the back of the desk and he looked at it. "Look at this," he said to Amanda, straightening up with a puzzled look on his face, showing her an envelope with the words 'Jesse Travis' on it. "This looks like the letter Mr Brenton left for Jesse with the tickets in for his camping break. But it hasn't been opened. And I know Jesse took the envelope home with him."

"Open it," suggested Amanda, and Mark did so, and scanned the contents.

"This seems to be from Mr Brenton," he said, "but the camp site is completely different to the one Jesse and Steve went to. How strange."

"Have you heard from them?" asked Amanda.

"Well, no, but I hadn't thought anything of it because I know signal is poor in the mountains." Mark felt concerned. "I'll try Steve's cell phone anyway."

He hung up the phone shortly. "No, no answer."

"They are probably fine," Amanda said.

"Hmmm, but I don't like it," Mark said. "There's something odd here. I'm going to phone Mr Brenton. He's given a number here."

"Okay, I've got to go back to the lab," Amanda said. "Come and see me if you find out anything."

Mark nodded distractedly as he picked up the phone.

Amanda hadn't done much more work when Mark came into the path lab looking worried. "I called Mr Brenton," he said. "He never received a call from Jesse, and was a bit put out that Jesse didn't want to take up his offer, or at least ring to say thanks."

"But I thought Jesse called him to arrange the trip?" Amanda said.

"Yes, he called someone, who he thought was Mr Brenton," Mark said. "But it obviously wasn't the real Mr Brenton. There's something very wrong here. I'm at the end of my shift. I'm heading up to the campsite that they went to. Steve left me the address."

"But it's an eight hour drive!" Amanda said. "It will be dark when you get there. Have a rest and leave in the morning."

"I can't rest. Something's wrong Amanda, and Steve and Jesse may be in trouble. I'm going straight away."

"I'm coming with you," she said.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve and Jesse had been walking silently along the road for the last five minutes, keeping as concealed by the trees as possible. They had heard nothing suspicious and were beginning to feel safe.

"Steve," said Jesse breaking the silence. "Do you think its okay to have something to eat? I'm starving and thirsty."

"I'm not sure," said Steve. "After that water fiasco I am not sure I trust any of our food."

"Well maybe not the fresh stuff," admitted Jesse. "But what about all the tinned stuff we brought with us? We ate it last night and it didn't do us any harm."

Steve still looked sceptical. "Come on Steve," whined Jesse. "Let's just try."

"Well okay," said Steve giving in. "I'm hungry too. But let's chuck all our fresh stuff away." Jesse nodded and set down his bag and extracted all the unwanted food and flung it into the nearby bushes. Steve examined his food closely before doing the same. Then Jesse selected a tin of baked beans and opened the top.

"It's probably best just to eat and few and then wait for half an hour and see if we have any side effects," said Steve opening a tin himself. Jesse looked wistfully into the tin but knew it made sense. He ate a couple of mouthfuls and then strapped the open tin to the outside of his rucksack. Steve looked at his own tin and suddenly didn't feel at all hungry. His face was sore and his head was thumping and looking at the food made him feel sick. He felt like rolling up into a ball and going to sleep, but he knew they had to keep going. He also didn't want to alarm Jesse and so he kept quiet.

"You know," said Jesse once they started up again. "I've never had cold baked beans before."

"Really?" said Steve sounding bored. "How thrilling for you."

"I think they're nice."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Don't you like them?" asked Jesse slightly confused by Steve's irritated voice.

"Yes Jesse, I like cold baked beans."

"Well what's the matter then?"

"Hmm let me think? We are wondering in the wilderness with no water, no phone, no shelter and someone seems to be using us as target practice. But that's okay Jesse because I like cold baked beans." Steve threw his rucksack off his back and slumped down in the shade with his back against a tree and closed his eyes. Jesse knelt down beside Steve feeling very concerned. This kind of behaviour was so unlike Steve.

He's had a worse time of it than me, thought Jesse. He's had the stove explode in his face, been shot at, fallen down that hole and hit his head. He should really be hospital. Jesse fished in his bag and brought out a couple of paracetamol.

"Steve," he said tentively. "Here, take these paracetamol and sit quietly for a while. It should help." Steve remained in the same position. Jesse became even more concerned. If Steve had concussion he shouldn't go to sleep, Jesse might not be able to wake him up again. "Steve, come on wake up," said Jesse and gently slapped his face. Steve stirred.

"What? What is it?"

"I think you have concussion from where you hit your head. You need to stay awake. Here take these paracetamol, they should help. Sorry there's no water." Steve took them without a word and swallowed them. Then he closed his eyes again.

"You've got to keep talking to me so that I know you're not asleep," persisted Jesse.

"I'll be alright in a moment," mumbled Steve. "It's just as headache. Sorry I was short with you."

"Hey that's okay. I realise you must be feeling rough."

"Well this hasn't exactly been the relaxing holiday I had in mind."

"I know, me neither. I feel like this is all my fault. I never seem to be able to go away without getting into trouble. I think it would be safer if I just lived in the hospital."

Steve gave a small grin. "But our lives wouldn't be half so exciting without you getting us all into danger."

"Sometimes I would like a nice calm relaxing holiday though."

"I know, I know," said Steve.

X X X

Half an hour later Steve was feeling much better and so they decided to set off once more. Jesse too felt more alert after their rest. The walked on eating the baked beans from the can as they had felt no side effects from earlier. They decided to take a short cut across an open stretch of land in order to cut off a large corner of the track. They climbed over a fence and made their way through tall undergrowth that came up to their elbows. The ground was steep and littered with large boulders, making the going difficult. They hadn't gone far when a loud howl sounded across the field. They both stopped dead.

"What was that?" whispered Jesse and the noise came against followed by a screeching sound that seemed to come from all around.

"I'm not sure," said Steve. "Keep going."

They hadn't gone much further when a low growl followed by screaming split the air. It made the hairs on the back of Jesse's neck stand on end. They both stopped again and looked all around but the tall undergrowth prevented them from seeing anything. There was more growling and howling which seemed unusually loud.

"That sounds like wolves," said Jesse in a scared voice. "Do you think they were attracted by the smell of the baked beans?" Steve almost laughed.

"No Jess. I don't think wolves eat baked beans, they more likely smelt us. But I don't actually think they're real."

"You don't," said Jesse feeling relieved. "Then what's making the noises?"

"I'm not sure, but it's too loud to be made from an animal. I think we should keep moving anyway. I suspect it's those men again up to some sort of mischief."

They carried on as quickly as possible. Jesse still didn't like it. The sounds sounded so close and bloodthirsty. He kept glancing all around him half expecting to see a wolf rush out at him from the undergrowth, but nothing happened. The gradient of the slope increased and Steve realised they were climbing along the top of a V shaped valley. There was a small river running down the centre and he wondered if there was a way of climbing down to it. It might be all right to drink. Just then the howls, screaming and growls all stopped suddenly and it made everywhere feel eerily quiet. They both stood still again wondering what was coming next. Then Steve heard another growl from behind him and there was the sound of scrabbling bushes. Steve turned around fearfully; this one sounded real. He looked back and saw the undergrowth at the bottom of the valley, from where they had just come from, start to move, as if something was running through it. Jesse turned around and saw the swaying bushes moving closer.

"Oh my god," he muttered.

"Move!" yelled Steve. Jesse didn't need prompting. He turned and ran as fast as he could, closely followed by Steve. As they ran Jesse was sure he could now hear the snuffles and growls of something gaining on them. Just ahead of him he saw a thin wooden rope bridge stretching across the river valley. He made towards it and Steve followed. Jess put a foot on the bridge and it seemed to sag under his weight and he hesitated. Glancing back he saw the moving undergrowth was getting very close and decided to risk it. He ran across the small bridge using as a big a stride as possible. The bridge swung but he reached the other side.

Steve was only half away across when he felt the bridge begin to give way beneath him. One of the wooden slats broke and his foot fell through into mid air. He staggered and caught hold of the side rope. The bridge rocked and he knew it was about to collapse. Heaving his foot out of the gap Steve threw himself at the bank of the valley and managed to grab hold of the end post just as the wooden slats fell away. Jesse grabbed hold of his arm and hauled him to safety. They both sat on the ground and looked back over the fallen bridge. Three animals appeared at a run out of the surrounding undergrowth.

"Wolves," said Jesse in shock. "Thank goodness the bridge broke, now they can't get across to us."

"They're not wolves, they're Alsatians," panted Steve. "And I don't think that bridge breaking had anything to do with luck. They may not be able to get over to us, but we can't get back either. Also I noticed how they only started to chase us when we were near the bridge. I think we've been set up again. Someone planned for us to run across that bridge so we would be stuck here. Just like they planned for us to run down that steep slope while we were being shot at with arrows."

"But who?" asked Jesse looking concerned. "And why bother doing all this?"

"I don't know," said Steve gravely. "But whatever game they are playing, they seem to be winning."


	8. Chapter 8

Night was falling. Steve looked at Jesse and thought that he looked exhausted, but he was pretty sure that he didn't look any better himself. He felt awful, although he kept it to himself as he didn't want Jesse to fuss over him or worry. His head was pounding and he wanted nothing more than to lie down in a comfy bed. He blinked a few times and shook his head as if to clear his thinking.

"It's going to be dark soon," he said to Jesse. "I don't like the idea, but we can't possibly make our way in the dark, even with the torch. And we're both pretty tired out. I think we should find a place to rest up until dawn. We'll take it in turns to keep watch."

"Okay," Jesse said, too worn out to think of anything else.

The terrain on this side of the bridge was thick wood again. The two of them found a thick-trunked pine tree and leant against it. Jesse opened a tin and they shared it between them.

"The road we were following is on the other side of the river valley," said Steve, leaning his head back against the tree. "Heaven knows if there's another way back over."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Jesse, scraping the last scraps out of the tin. He still felt ravenous. They had hardly eaten anything that day.

"We could follow the river downstream," Steve suggested. "We know it will lead to lower ground and off the mountain eventually, and if we are following it we know we won't be going around in circles."

"Fantastic idea," murmured Jesse. He felt very sleepy.

Steve smiled to himself. "I'll take first watch," he said. "I'll wake you after a few hours."

Jesse muttered something incomprehensible.

Steve struggled to keep himself awake, despite his anxiety and the constant noises from the surrounding trees. Having nothing to think about only made him more aware of his burnt skin and bruised head. But he still felt guilty for falling asleep on the first night when someone ripped open the tent and attacked Jesse, and was determined not to fall asleep this time. When three hours were up he couldn't keep awake any longer and prodded Jesse. "Your turn."

Jesse sighed heavily, but sat up. "Okay, sleep tight."

Steve drifted off to sleep quickly.

He felt like he'd hardly closed his eyes when he felt Jesse shaking his shoulder. "Aw, give me a bit longer," he moaned.

"No, Steve, you've got to wake up!" Jesse hissed, shaking him harder.

Steve was awake instantly. "What is it?" he whispered.

"I think I can hear something moving around," Jesse whispered back. "Over there."

Steve listened. It was still dark but a glimpse at his watch with its glow in the dark dial showed that it was probably only about an hour from dawn. "I can't hear anything," he said.

"It's stopped now. But there was definitely movement, fairly close and more than a leaf dropping," Jesse said.

Steve strained his eyes against the darkness, but it was no good, he could see nothing. "Are you sure?"

Then, sounding so loud in the relative stillness of the outdoors, a bang rang out and Steve yelled in pain and clutched his leg.

"What is it?" shouted Jesse.

"I've… been shot," said Steve, feeling wetness under his hand. "Quick, get–"

Another bang, and this time Jesse, who had been crouching over Steve, fell back with a cry of pain reaching for his chest.

"Jesse!" Steve called in fear, but then he felt another bullet hit him on the arm and propel him backwards. He struggled to his feet quickly, and felt for where Jesse had fallen. Jesse was also rising, and they clutched at each other blindly, unable to see anything with the darkness. Another bang, and they heard a thud as the bullet hit the tree trunk between their heads.

"We've got to get out of here!" Steve said, trying to ignore the burning pains in his arm and leg.

"I can't see anything, Steve!" Jesse said, his voice filled with panic.

"Come this way," Steve said, pulling Jesse's arm away from the direction of the bullets. "Try and get behind a tree."

They took a few blundering steps, and then two more shots rang out in quick succession. One hit Steve just behind the ear and he went down with a cry, and the world went blank. The other hit Jesse on his right temple. He felt a blinding moment of pain before he too fell.

X X X

A few hours before, a car had driven up to the deserted campsite. Mark opened his car door almost before the car had fully stopped and raced off. Amanda applied the brakes and left the headlights on so that they could see, as it was dark. She got two powerful torches from the trunk and joined Mark, who was looking increasingly worried.

"Amanda! Look at all this metal on the ground. And embedded in the wall of this shelter! What happened?"

"It looks like the remains of the stove," Amanda said slowly.

Mark hurried towards the tent. "There's been a fire," he said. "Look, half of this side of the tent has been burnt away."

"Perhaps they left because there was an accident. There is probably an innocent explanation, don't jump to conclusions." Amanda tried to reassure him, but she didn't believe what she was saying. If so, why hadn't they heard from either of them?

"No, their car's still here, I saw it as we drew up," Mark said, shaking his head. He looked in Steve's bedroom compartment and saw nothing, then he looked into Jesse's. He gasped and took an unsteady step backwards.

"What is it?" asked Amanda, and she stepped forward and shone her torch. In its light she saw Jesse's sleeping bag, drenched in dried blood. She gasped too.

"We have to find them," Mark said urgently.

X X X

Steve was blinking. He opened his eyes and saw the grey light of dawn. He remembered with a jolt what had happened. He was shot in the head, arm and leg! He should be dead. He could feel sharp pains in each of those three places. He rolled over as he was on his front and dead pine needles were sticking into his face. Gingerly he sat up, but he didn't feel much pain. Hardly daring to look, he squinted down at the wound on his leg, and saw a green splodge. Alarmed, he examined his arm. It was blue. In a daze he touched it. Certainly not blood. It looked like… paint?

Hearing a groan from beside him, he glanced over at Jesse who was lying on his back with eyes closed, rubbing his head. Seeing a large purple mark on Jesse's head and similar multi-coloured marks on his chest, Steve burst out with relieved laughter.

Jesse opened startled eyes. He sat up quickly, looking at Steve as if he was mad. Then he noticed the strange colours of Steve's bullet wounds.

"We're okay," Steve reassured him, still laughing softly. "We've been subjected to a paintball attack."

"Huh?" said Jesse, still feeling woozy.

"He must have had night vision goggles," said Steve, thinking back. "Otherwise he'd never have hit us in the dark."

"But it hurt!" protested Jesse, grinning slightly as Steve's amusement was infectious, but still very puzzled.

"They do, especially if hit from close range," Steve said. "He must have been pretty close. We'll have some nasty bruises and aching heads," he said ruefully, "but no real damage."

"I thought you were dead," Jesse said weakly.

Steve pulled a face. "I thought the same about you," he said quietly. He shrugged his shoulders. "We'd best get moving. I don't want to be stuck on this mountain for another night."

"They could have been real bullets," Jesse said thoughtfully, almost to himself.

"I know. But this guy, whoever he is, must have a plan, an end to the game. We've got to get out of here before he reaches his conclusion."

"What do you think he's got in mind?" Jesse asked uneasily.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Jess," Steve said, getting to his feet and looking in the direction of the river. He didn't add that he didn't think that the end would be as harmless as some of these other stunts had been.

The two friends headed off following the river down below them. Steve was extremely glad he hadn't fallen down the valley the evening before. It looked a long way down.

The ground sloped downwards, and the drop down to the river became less. After about a mile they found themselves walking alongside the river rather than above it. The water looked fresh and Jesse and Steve pushed through to the bank at a point where the thick reeds were less deep and scooped water up in their hands to drink. It tasted clear and cool.

Once they had drunk their fill they continued along the river bank. The reeds were thick and the trees began to get closer together and they were forced to move a little away from the water to find a clear and easy path. Suddenly Jesse stopped. "Hey Steve, look over there." He pointed over to the river, which was about a hundred yards over on the right through thick trees. "Can you see that?"

Steve peered through the branches and caught a glimpse of something white on the river. "It looks like a speedboat, tied to the side," he said.

"What a stroke of luck!" Jesse said. "Looks like there's a path down there. Maybe we're near another campsite, and we can use their boat! Come on!"

"Jesse, wait," Steve said, putting a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "I don't trust it. Nothing has worked for us so far. That boat will probably explode as soon as we start the engine."

"We don't need to start it though!" Jesse's eyes had brightened up at the prospect of getting off the mountain. "We can just float down on the river current. It will save walking."

"I still don't like it," said Steve suspiciously.

"Okay, let's just go and have a look," Jesse persisted. "We won't even touch it if you're not happy."

"Well, all right," Steve said grudgingly.

Jesse led the way down to the narrow path he had spotted and headed along it. It allowed a route down to the river through the dense trees and undergrowth that bordered the banks. Jesse pushed aside a tree branch.

"Hey, watch it!" exclaimed Steve, as it swung backwards and caught him unawares.

"Sorry!" said Jesse, pushing aside the next one and holding it until Steve had a hold of it. As he pushed the third branch out of the way, Jesse felt something fall from above. Something moving.

"Hold. Still.," Steve said slowly and quietly.

Jesse could feel things moving through his hair, on his shoulders and over his back. Staying as still as possible, he looked down at his feet where some of the things had fallen to the ground. He let out a shriek. "Tarantulas! Get them off me!" He danced out of the way of the spiders on the ground, towards Steve who look a large step backwards, a look of alarm on his face.

"Help me!" yelled Jesse, terrified.

Steve looked wildly around, and picked up a fallen branch. Jesse was standing rigidly, his face screwed up in terror as one of the tarantulas touched his neck with a hairy leg. Steve gently pushed the spiders off Jesse one by one.

"All gone."

Jesse gave a whoop of relief and ran back down the path several metres, patting furiously as his hair and back to make sure they really were all gone. "I admit, you were right," he panted, as Steve joined him. "The path was booby-trapped. Let's avoid the boat."


	9. Chapter 9

They made their way back along the path they had gone down and once more ended up in the middle of the dense pine forest. They stopped to have a rest and have something to eat from the tins as it was now nearly noon.

"How is your arm now?" asked Steve, indicating the dressing on Jesse's arm.

"Not sure, I haven't checked since I first did it. It's a bit sore though." He carefully peeled back some of the tape holding the pad in place and looked underneath. "Urgh I think it's all infected. Look, see how it's all red and puffy and crusty round the edges."

"Jess that's gross," said Steve. "You've put me off my food."

"Never mind, I'll eat it," said Jesse and finished off Steve's tin of food along with his own. "I'll just have to put on a new dressing and hope for the best." While Jesse was doing that, Steve examined his arm and leg where he had been 'shot' the night before. The spot had already turned red and yellow and there was a definite bruised ring where the paintball had struck.

"By the time we get home we are going to be so multicoloured from all these bruises and scratches that I'm not sure people will recognise us," said Steve trying to be light hearted about the situation.

"While I've got the medi-kit out why don't you look at that cut on your hand," said Jesse. "It might be worth changing the dressing."

"You look," said Steve offering Jesse his hand. "After your arm I don't feel I want to look. It doesn't feel too bad now though." Jesse carefully peeled back the tape and examined the cut underneath.

"You're lucky, it's healing nicely," said Jesse. "I'll put a new dressing on it anyway. This one's got a little dirty."

"Well that's hardly surprising."

When they had rested a little longer they packed up and set off again, bypassing the path that led to the boat. The route they took led them further and further away from the stream until they only caught glimpses of it in between the trees. They seemed to have reached the base of the valley and after a while the terrain began to slope upwards again. At first they hardly noticed but soon the climb became hard and they found they were drawing sharp breaths and that their already tired legs began to protest with every step they took.

"Got…to….stop," panted Jesse. "Need….rest." Steve merely nodded and climbed a couple of feet further until they reached a relatively flat rock that was big enough for them both to sit down on. They both sat in silence getting their breath back. Steve was the first to recover and he opened a tin of pineapple and drank some of the juice thirstily. He then handed over the rest to Jesse.

"We've got to reach the top of this slope, then we should be able to get a good view of our surroundings," said Steve.

"I'm not sure I can," said Jesse. "I feel completely whacked."

"Come on Jess. Onwards and upwards," said Steve standing up and pulling Jesse to his feet.

"Slave driver," muttered Jesse as he followed after Steve.

X X X

When they reached the top Steve was thrilled to see that after a narrow path leading round another rise of hill there was what looked like a road in the distance.

"Look. I think that's the path we were following earlier," said Steve with hope in his voice. "If we can get to it we should be able to follow it to the main road. I don't think it can be much further. Just round this hill and down the next slope, come on!"

"Oh thank goodness," said Jesse relieved. "I though we were going to be lost out here for ever."

With new hope they set off, following the thin rocky path that led around the side of the hill. It was very narrow and they had to walk in single file. The ground fell away steeply to one side and they made sure they kept close to the hill, treading carefully. It would be awful if they slipped and fell. Just after Steve had judged that they were about half way round they came across a vast indent into the hill.

"It looks almost like a cave," said Jesse peering in. "Let's stop and have a break. It's wider here and we can sit down properly."

"Well, ok," said Steve reluctantly. "But I want to reach that road before it gets dark." They took off their rucksacks and sat a little back from the cave entrance. Jesse lay down flat on his back and closed his eyes.

"I could go to sleep."

"So could I," said Steve also lying down. "I ache all over, but we mustn't stay here for long."

"I know." Just then there was a rumbling noise which seemed to grow louder.

"What's that?" asked Steve almost to himself. "Thunder?"

"Oh good," said Jesse "At least we can stay here out of the rain." However the noise grew steadily louder and the ground started to tremble. Suddenly a lot of dust and pieces of rock began to fall around the mouth of the cave.

"Jesse, quick get up!" yelled Steve in alarm as more and more rocks fell.

"What is it? What's happening" said Jesse in confusion.

"It's a rock fall," yelled back Steve. "An avalanche. We have to get out of here or we'll be trapped! Quick the entrance is already closing up!" Jesse jumped up off the floor in fear and he and Steve tried to see if there was a way out of the cave but dust and flying bits of rock drove them backwards. They were beginning to find it difficult to breathe.

"It's no good," called Steve starting to choke on the dust. "Lie down flat and cover your head with your arms. Try not to breathe too deeply." Jesse did as instructed and also screwed his eyes closed against the grit.

The noise seemed to go on for a long time, but then there was silence and Jesse sat up and opened his eyes. At first he panicked and thought he had been blinded as he could not see anything, but as the dust settled he noticed a tiny chink of light coming in from between the fallen rocks at the top of the cave entrance. He squinted around feeling dazed and thought he could just make out a shadow of Steve moving nearby.

"Jesse? Where are you? Are you okay?" came Steve's voice through the gloom.

"We're trapped!" said Jesse in fright as the realisation hit him. "We can't get out, the passage is blocked."

"This has to have been planned," said Steve finding Jesse's shoulder in the half light. "It's just too coincidental on top of all the other things that have happened for it to be an accident."

"What shall we do?" asked Jesse.

"I think we should go further in and see what we can find," said Steve. "There may be another way out."

"But it could be dangerous. If that rock fall was planned by the men to trap us in here, then that means there must be another trap further in. I think we should try and dig our way out."

"Not necessarily," said Steve. "I reckon they must be planning just to leave us in here until we starve. We can try digging out first but I wouldn't hold out much hope."

X X X

It was as Steve suspected. The fallen rocks were too big and cumbersome for them to move or shift enough to get out. Jesse made a noise of frustration in the dark.

"Okay, perhaps we should explore further back," he said admitting defeat.

"I'll go first," said Steve and drew his gun. "You can stay a little way behind. If any shots are fired or anything happens throw yourself on the ground. Right?"

"Okay," said Jesse timidly.

Steve made his way cautiously towards the back of the cave, keeping near the wall in order to keep his bearings. He went slowly, not liking the lack of light which gave him poor vision. He heard Jesse taking a few steps a little way behind him. The ground began to slope upwards and made the going even more difficult. When Steve was about half way up the cave was suddenly flooded with very bright light. Steve threw up his arms to protect his eyes which watered due to the sudden change in light, and he heard Jesse make a sound of surprise. He tried to see what was happening but it was too painful to lower his hands away from his face. Then behind him he heard Jesse cry out.

"…eve!" The sound sounded muffled and Steve turned in confusion. He managed to lower his hands and was just able to squint out of his eyes, but he didn't like what he saw. At the base of the slope Jesse was struggling with a man dressed all in black who had one arm around his neck and the other holding a piece of white fabric clamped over Jesse's mouth. Steve let out a cry of rage and lifted his gun, but the man was standing behind Jesse and Steve couldn't get a clear aim.

"Let him go," yelled Steve at the man as Jesse's struggles became weaker. The man paid no attention and continued to hold Jesse tightly. Suddenly Jesse seemed to go limp and his legs would no longer support him and he slumped to the floor. The man just stood beside him looking up at Steve and grinning.

"Back away with your hands up!" cried Steve angrily, taking a couple of steps forward. He wondered what the man had done to Jesse and why he continued to grin at him. "I said back aw…" began Steve but then he felt a sharp pain in the top of his right arm and he whirled around, only to be faced with yet another figure dressed all in black. A black figure holding a needle.

Steve felt afraid as almost instantly his body began to ache and feel very heavy. He tried to raise the gun at the man with the needle but he found it very difficult. The man laughed and kicked the gun out of Steve's hand. Steve stumbled and the laugh seemed to echo around the inside of his head. He attempted to lift his arm to punch the man but found his arm felt like lead. He was beginning to feel woozy and darkness seemed to be closing in on him. With a great effort he swung his fist and felt as through he was trying to punch through water. His legs started to quiver and would no longer support his weight and he staggered and fell sideways, rolling down the small slope. Then it all went black.


	10. Chapter 10

Jesse groaned softly. His head was aching, and he didn't feel that he was in a very comfortable position. He tried to move his limbs but felt something digging in to his wrists and ankles preventing him. He opened his eyes.

The glaring light was still on, shining right into his eyes. Jesse screwed his eyes almost shut to try and see. He was tied to a chair, each ankle attached tightly to the two front chair legs and his hands secured awkwardly behind his back. A couple of metres away on the right Jesse could see Steve tied to another chair in the same way. His head was slumped forwards and he looked unconscious.

Jesse was aware of a movement in front of him but before he could focus he was drenched in icy cold water. Gasping in shock, he watched as a figure dressed in black doused Steve with a bucket of water too, throwing it at him as hard as possible. Steve jumped as much as was possible from his encumbered position and lifted his head as he came round. He looked around blearily.

Jesse shivered. The temperature in the cave was cool to start with and now he was soaked to the skin with water. His eyes began to adjust to the bright light and he took in the details of his surroundings. Two figures dressed in dark clothes were smirking at them from the edge of the light. A huge floodlight was set up to illuminate the captives, and Jesse could hear the hum of a generator somewhere that must be supplying the power.

"Steve," Jesse called across. "Are you okay?" He didn't know what the men had done to Steve.

Steve grunted, then, seemingly with an effort, said, "Yeah. Just peachy. You?"

"Fine," said Jesse hurriedly, not elaborating as he saw the two men in front of them take a step forward. Then another man appeared between them.

He had an air of importance and self-satisfaction about him. From his body language it was clear that he was used to being obeyed. He was dressed in a black suit and was tall and fairly thickly built. He looked strong.

"Dr Travis," he said, with loathing evident in his voice. "How wonderful to come face to face with you at last. And your friend is very welcome too."

Jesse felt startled. Although he hadn't verbalised it, he had assumed that the trouble they had been experiencing on the mountain had something to do with one of Steve's cases, or someone who he had sent to jail and had a grudge. But it sounded as if he was the target.

"You probably haven't heard of me," the man continued. "I am known to many as Heavy Jake."

"I've heard of you," Steve spoke up. "You're well known to the police. A local gangster."

"And a successful one," Jake replied. "I know the police are so eager to send me to jail, but they've never been able to pin anything on me." A smug note entered his voice.

"That's because you get other people to do your dirty work," Steve said.

Jake frowned with an expression of annoyance and he pointed a finger at Steve. One of the other men stepped forward and gave Steve a sharp punch to the side of the head which set his head spinning, but he had been powerless to resist.

"Take that as a pleasant warning," Jake said calmly. "I'm not interested in you." His gaze turned to Jesse, who felt a shiver of dread run through him.

"My colleagues Billy and Dylan here have been tormenting you at my command," Jake said, getting straight to the point. "I wanted to cause you as much grief, fear, discomfort as possible. I hope you enjoyed my mountain of fun. It's a shame your buddy had to come along and get mixed up in it. No hard feelings, I have nothing against you," he said to Steve, who looked back at Jake with disbelief, but wisely held his tongue.

"But… why?" Jesse stammered. "Why do you want to hurt me?"

Jake took three large strides to place himself right in front of Jesse. "Because you killed my daughter."

"What?" Jesse said falteringly.

"Jesse would never kill anyone," Steve said.

Jake ignored him. "A couple of months ago we did some business with a rival gang, but they didn't appreciate the way we went about our custom. They came onto my turf and started a gun fight. My daughter," his face hardened, "my daughter shouldn't have been there that day but she was paying me a visit. She got caught in the cross fire and shot."

Jesse and Steve exchanged a glance but kept silent, letting Jake continue his tale.

"Before I could get to her to take her to my _preferred_ doctor someone picked her up and took her to Community General. You, Dr Travis, were the doctor who treated her when she came in. She wasn't badly hurt. But your incompetence shone through, and she died."

"I remember her," Jesse said in a distressed voice. "She _was_ badly wounded. The bullet had hit an artery and caused internal bleeding."

"You're lying!" shouted Jake. "She would have been fine. You made mistakes, many of them. You killed my daughter!"

"No!" cried Jesse, clearly upset. "We did everything we could! There was nothing anyone could have done. The position of the bullet… I'm sorry for the loss of your daughter, but sometimes injuries are just too severe to treat successfully."

Jake just looked at him passively. "I hope that your adventures on the mountain gave you a taste of what is coming to you. Because now things are going to get even more interesting. You killed my daughter, and now you will die too. But not before you experience much pain." He smiled humourlessly, and beckoned with a finger.

Dylan pulled a table out of the shadows. Lined up on top of it was an unpleasant looking collection of knives and other pointed metal instruments.

Jesse's eyes widened and Steve strained to free himself from the chair but his bonds were tight.

Jake observed them with a look of satisfaction. "Let's try a little emotional trauma for Dr Travis first," he said to his thugs.

Billy selected an object from the table. Steve and Jesse recognised it as a stun gun of the sort often kept by women for use in the instance of a personal attack. He went over to Steve, pressed the device against his chest and switched it on. Steve's body shook with the electric current and he yelled loudly.

"No!" Jesse shouted, trying to move but unable to do so. "Stop it! Please! He's done nothing to you. Let him go!"

Steve's movements led to the chair overbalancing and it fell over on its side, taking him with it.

"Enough!" Jake called. Billy returned to his side.

Steve felt awful. The experience of the stun gun was one he never wanted to repeat. Every muscle ached, and his head was pounding. He lay on his side on the cold, hard floor, his limbs incapacitated by the current. Not that I would have been able to move much even if I could, he thought bitterly.

Jake's attention was now on Jesse, who was desperately looking at Steve to see some sign that he was not badly hurt. "He won't be able to move for a few moments," Jake said. "But I've got plenty of things planned for you."

Jesse swung his gaze back to meet Jake's and shuddered at the look he saw there. He realised there would be no mercy.

Steve flexed his fingers to test his ability to move. They twitched a bit, and he tried again and moved them further. One finger brushed against something that felt cold and sharp. He reached for it again as more muscle ability came back to his body, and couldn't believe was he was feeling. It seemed to be a knife or something metallic that had fallen on the floor. It must have been dropped by one of the men and not noticed in the shadow of his chair. Eagerly, with hope returning, he pulled it carefully nearer and felt for the sharpest edge. Then he manoeuvred it round and started to attempt to cut the ropes on his wrists.

Jake reached into his jacket and pulled out a hand gun. He examined it slowly, pulling out the cartridge and putting it back, making sure a bullet was loaded in the chamber, all the while aware of Jesse's worried eyes on him.

Steve felt a moment of lesser pressure on his wrists, then the pressure was gone. He flexed his hands, checking that he had full control of his limbs. All attention was on Jesse. He moved his eyes quickly around and focused on a fist sized rock within reaching distance.

Jake smiled nastily at Jesse. "I'm just going to give you something to think about and focus your mind when we're doing the, shall we say, _slower_ processes in a few minutes," he said, and swiftly raised the gun and fired at Jesse's leg.

The bullet hit him a few inches below the knee and he yelled in pain.

The shot spurred Steve into action. He pushed himself away from the ground, picked up the rock, and in one fluid movement threw it as hard as he could at the light. The rock landed right in the middle of the bulb and it smashed with a satisfying crash of breaking glass. The cave became pitch black. Steve swiftly cut through the ropes on his ankles and ran over to where Jesse was, trusting his memory to guide him. Jake was shouting at Billy and Dylan to fix the light, and Steve knew he didn't have long before one of them came over to find their captives in the dark.

"Jess, you okay?" he asked quietly as he sawed as quickly as he could at Jesse's bonds.

"Yes," Jesse gasped, and Steve knew he was in pain.

"Where did they get you?" he asked, having not seen where the bullet had landed.

"Leg," Jesse grunted.

Steve pulled him up and headed towards the back of the cave. He reasoned that there must be another way out other than the place where they had come in, as Jake wouldn't have trapped them all in with a rock slide. Steve had one of Jesse's arms over his shoulder and half carried him along as best he could. Jesse was breathing shallowly with the pain of his leg and was not able to put much weight on it.

To their relief, at the back of the cave they felt a draught of air and smelt the scent of pine trees. A faint glimmer of light came from ahead and they hurried towards it.

They heard a shout from behind and footsteps getting closer. Shots were fired at them and Jesse heard a bullet ricochet off the cave wall beside him, but luckily none of the shots hit them.

The two friends emerged into daylight, blinking at the sudden light. They had come out beside a rough track, and two jeeps were parked there. Steve let go of Jesse and ran towards one. Jesse hobbled after him, biting his lip as he put weight on the leg. In this light he could see the blood coming from the wound and his doctor's mind kicked in, telling him he needed to keep it still and get it seen to. But there was no time for that.

Steve let out a whoop of triumph as he found the keys in the ignition. "I don't suppose they expected anyone to be around except for them. It looks pretty remote."

"Let's get out of here," Jesse said, climbing into the passenger side.

Steve started the jeep and pulled away quickly, sending a shower of pine needles up into the air. As they pulled away Jake, Billy and Dylan surfaced from the cave, and raised their guns at the departing jeep. A bullet hit one of the tyres and the vehicle swerved dangerously close to a tree. Steve and Jesse were thrown about but Steve managed to keep control and kept the jeep going down the track. Jesse looked behind and saw the men climb into the other jeep and accelerate away.

"Step on it Steve," Jesse said.

"I'm trying!" said Steve through gritted teeth. "This thing wants to get away from me with its one flat tyre."

The road sloped steeply downwards. Steve was going as fast as he dared. He risked a glance behind. The other jeep was catching up.

"Steve, look out!" Jesse suddenly yelled, and Steve whipped his head round in time to realise he was on a collision course with a car that had just appeared from a track off to the side. He slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel over to one side, but too late. The jeep smashed into the front end of the car and both vehicles went sideways and came to rest against a tree. The jeep following also tried to swerve. It clipped the very back of Steve and Jesse's jeep and was thrown into the air. It went into a roll and went on down the hill, over and over on its roof, coming to rest the right way up against a tree several hundred yards further down the track.

Steve and Jesse looked at each other. "You hurt?" Steve asked.

"Just shaken, I haven't gained any more injuries," Jesse said.

Steve jumped out of the jeep and went over to the car they had run into. To his astonishment, Mark and Amanda got out, also looking a little shaken. However when they caught sight of Steve their faces changed to show intense relief. They moved towards each other. Jesse opened the door of the jeep and made to get out, but winced in pain and decided to stay where he was. Mark and Amanda's expressions quickly changed to alarm.

"Are you hurt?" Steve got in first.

"We're fine, but just look at you!" Mark said in horror. "You're all scratched and bruised. Steve, your face looks burnt… and Jesse, is that a bullet wound?" he exclaimed, moving over to the open door.

"Fraid so," said Jesse, wincing as he shifted his position. "I have never been so glad to see you!"

"What on earth has happened to you?" Amanda asked.

"Later," Steve said, looking anxiously down at the crashed jeep belonging to Jake. He didn't want his father and Amanda to get mixed up in this. He picked up a large branch and hefted it in his hands. "Dad, you got any rope in the trunk?"

"Yes, I think so," Mark said, and fetched it.

"Stay here," Steve said grimly, and started down the slope towards the jeep.

"Not on your own, you might need help," said Mark, coming after him, as Amanda got her medical bag and started examining Jesse.

"Dad!" Steve said in exasperation, but he didn't have the energy to protest harder.

They cautiously approached the jeep. Jake was slumped over the steering wheel, blood on his face. Billy had been knocked to the floor from his seat on the back and was also out cold. Dylan was semi-conscious, stirring slowly and groaning. Steve quickly went to him first, pulled him out of the car and tied him tightly. Then he did the same to Jake.

"You really shouldn't move them," Mark said.

"I'm not taking any chances," Steve replied firmly. "Does your cell phone have any signal here?"

Mark looked at it. "Yes."

"Fantastic," Steve said wearily, taking it and punching in the number for the police.

Mark's car pulled up beside them and Amanda got out. Jesse was seated in the passenger seat looking pale and shattered. "I've stopped the bleeding for now but he needs to get to a hospital. Is everything okay?" Amanda asked.

"I think it is now," said Steve with a tired smile. He handed the cell phone to Amanda. She turned away to give instructions to the police, and then called for some ambulances.

Steve suddenly felt exhausted; his head throbbed from multiple bruising and bashes, the skin on his face and hands suddenly felt like it was on fire, and all his muscles protested at once as the effects of the stun gun and lack of sleep caught up with him. He sank to the floor, leaning against the car, and rested his head in his hands.

It was over. And they were both still alive. He took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and despite everything, smiled to himself.

THE END

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_Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews welcome._


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